


Stale Bread

by Zapphi



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, One Shot, Other, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 20:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18698872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zapphi/pseuds/Zapphi
Summary: ""Are you mad at me?"Julian's response, or lack thereof, bothers you. He's just sitting there, on Mazelinka's window, moodily eating stale bread."Based on the prompt I stole from Tumblr: ""Who wouldn't be angry? You ate all my cereal and faked your death for three years!"





	Stale Bread

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing something and posting it, so I'm sure something will go wrong, but as a spur of the moment decision, I posted this. I haven't even finished the game, and don't know the *deep lore*, but I had fun with this... Whatever it is. Nebulous time placement, imagine this any way you want it. I only briefly skimmed through the text twice before posting, so mistakes were probably made. Grammar hates me, and the feeling's mutual. Enjoy! :)

"Are you mad at me?"

Julian's response, or lack thereof, bothers you. He's just sitting there, on Mazelinka's window, moodily eating the stale bread you're pretty sure she was going to throw into the street for the birds and hungry passersby. His eyes flicker over to you in interest before he silently bristles as a result of his traitorous action. Back to eating stale bread, as he does, Julian flips his bangs not out of, but into his face and decides this is the prime time to stare at you as he purposely very slowly takes another bite with a small glare. That's new. He never glares at anyone, his mouth normally twists into a scowl.

"...................." The silence stretches out between you. With a resounding click of your tongue cutting the silence, you decide to take matters into your hands.

"... If I wanted the silent treatment I would be on my way to Muriel's hut, so I might as well just go since you're clearly busy cheating on me by making out with stale bread."  
His demeanor once again cracks and he smiles at the tease, but then he processes what you said before. 

"No, wait!" He breaks the facade and reaches out. Getting up from his perch, bread be damned, he grabs your arm as it lands on the floor with a small "plomp." Red color pools into his cheeks as he looks down between you and picks it up just in time for Mazelinka to walk in to witness it.

"I..." He starts.

"If you're aware you're going to have to eat it then don't even finish that thought. I just came back for the bread to try to sell it, but seeing as it's being put to use, I'm going to the market without it. Don't cause more trouble than you're worth!" She says, already exiting the room. No one seems to stay put in this house, you've noticed.

With a return to his normal mood, Julian shouts after her with a smirk. "Easier said than done, but I'll try!"

And in rare moment of boldness you shout "I'll keep him in check!"

"I know!" Comes the answer already fading into the distance.

Once again you're left alone in the heavy silence. Julian sighs.

"Alright, I can't just avoid things forever."

"So he can learn!" You joke. He raises an eyebrow and his lips quirk upwards, but he seems to be focusing on measuring his next words.

"I know you know something's wrong and I, uh... Need to explain everything, but it's complicated and really, everything started building up and I've only just had a chance to rest with my thoughts..." As he trails off into incoherent mumbling you put your hand over his that was previously picking at the remains of the saintsforsaken bread, which he's starting to crush with his other hand in tension.

"Take your time, we have plenty of it now."

Instead of calming down, he squares his shoulders and stiffens, his voice raised slightly above normal, but not angry. 

"This is why it's so damn hard to stay mad at you! Gah, just stop being understanding for a minute and let me just vent, because everything is contradicting and I need an outlet!"

You smile at the first part, however it melts into a concerned frown and at the end, you nod so he sees you're listening.

"Am I mad at you? I should be, and who wouldn't be if you ate all their cereal and vanished from their life (not in that order) for what? Three years? That's the thing! I'm not mad and I damn well should be, but now I just have to let go? I didn't choose to accept that! You DIED! I should be mad, at least at myself for letting you die! I just-"

He started heaving, and now lowers his head as he trails off and his lungs search for air. After a few moments, he closes his eyes and regains his composure. You start.

"Julian, this means you're growing. You're getting better, you're letting the past go and ceasing to worry about all those bad things. You're healing, and I'm proud of you."

You let the words ring out and settle into the comfortable but heavy atmosphere in the kitchen. Looking up at him, you share a grin and lower your head to join your foreheads, looking down at your joined hands on one side, and the other taking the stale yeast confection and putting it on the table. After a minute, you jolt, startled, knocking your head into Julian's nose, who gives a resounding "Ow! What gives?"

"Cereal? We had cereal? I finished said cereal? Are mad about that, of all things? When? What?" Bewilderment clear in your voice.

Wide-eyed and bemused, he starts laughing, clutching at his sides and with the corners of his eyes crinkling. Cute. His laughter is contagious, and soon you're both on the floor gasping for air like two tired children after playing chase all day. He probably did that with Portia. That's a fluffy thought you delve into, imagining them young and full of spirit, chasing around until dusk and going home to lay on the carpet. He had a dog, right? Was it in his childhood? Did they play with the pup?

You're pulled out of your reverie by a gloved finger poking into your cheek. Julian smiles and his brows unfurrow as he waits for an explanation to your spacing out. You shake your head to dismiss it, smiling wider and gesturing for him to explain. 

He raises an eyebrow, and you poke it, such as you've been doing to point out how much he does it since he had declined ever doing such a thing saying, and you quote: "That's preposterous! I don't know where you imagined that. My eyebrows are just where they should be!" At the gesture, he wrinkles his nose as silent protest and puts his arms around you, leaning into the counter and pulling you to lie against his chest.  


"To elaborate, you did betray me and my infinite trust in you when you finished the box of toasted grains Mazelinka left on the shelf. Those were my favorite to eat in the morning, but you strolled right in late at night while I was writing in the table and just poured yourself the whole thing without so much as a glance in my direction. I felt truly insulted and betrayed as you sat down next to me and leaned on my shoulder, picking grains and tossing them into your mouth like a shameless thief. However, I couldn't resist your sleepy face and just let you destroy my prospects of breakfast, make my arm fall asleep, not let me work, stay up with me even though you were tired (I could tell), and look cute doing it! At least now we're even, since you cheated on me with my cereal and I now have my bread mistress." 

He gropes for the bread on top of the table in front of you, carelessly tossing it into the air and gracefully catching it before it lands on your head. "Showoff." You mumble as he chuckles and keeps talking "...It really should be considered a crime, what you did. And now I'll have to wait because that type is out of season and the seller always says..."  


Looking up at him, you put your hand on his jaw and let him continue on his fake tirade, smiling and nodding when you make eye contact. What you don't notice is you actually nodding off, but he does. He sighs and resigns himself to his arm and leg going numb, a morning of doing nothing while looking at you, and an afternoon of a bemused Mazelinka shaking her head at Julian as he paces and mumbles about his current work and how the morning was a setback to his schedule. 

You're not there in the afternoon, as you tend the shop that day, but both Julian and Mazelinka know that he doesn't mean it, he could have very well have woken you up or taken you to the bed to lay down, but he made his choice without regrets. 

Life goes on, and every day is as nice as the one before, but Mazelinka never forgives Julian for not actually finishing the stale bread.


End file.
